1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to extendable poles, in general, and to adjustable whisker poles, in particular.
2. Prior Art
There are many examples of extendable poles known in the prior art. One example is known as a whisker pole which is used in conjunction with sailboats. That is, fixed length whisker poles tend to be relatively short in length. Whisker poles which are intended to be of any substantial length, for example on the order of 27 feet or the like, are selectively extendable and include one or more parts which are telescoped into each other to permit a relatively short unit when not in operation. When the known telescoping poles are extended, internal twist locks or spring-loaded, lock-buttons are used to maintain the poles in the extended position. These known whisker poles generally tend to be adjustable only in certain incremental lengths (e.g. 8 or 12 inch steps) and are somewhat difficult to collapse or telescope to the closed position. That is, the extended poles usually have to be brought inboard of the vessel and adjusted either by extending or retracting the parts while inboard. The spring-loaded lock-button needs to be depressed or the ends of the twist-lock telescoping poles need to be twisted to unlock (or lock) the pole for operation. These poles sometimes encounter difficulty due to corrosion or other types of damage.
The operation of the known devices is frequently cumbersome inasmuch as a rather lengthy whisker pole, for example 8 to 27 feet in length, is unwieldy and difficult to maneuver in the close confines of many sailboats. This is particularly a problem because the adjustment at the outer portion of the pole may be difficult to reach. Moreover, this operation frequently requires unlatching both the inboard and the outboard ends of the whisker pole from the appropriate fittings whereupon much time can be lost. In addition, once the pole is detached at each end, it is highly susceptible to being lost overboard or the like.